Face-to-face communication is the most direct and common way of communication among people. Facial expressions like eye contact, smiling, anger, and emotional gestures are all conveyed effectively through this process. However, such a process requires that the persons engaged in such communications be physically located at the same place.
With today's computer and telecommunication technologies (e.g. “NetMeeting” and “Videophone”), virtual face-to-face communication can be performed through a telecommunication channel between persons at two geographically remote locations. In such conventional systems, a video camera and a visual display unit (VDU) (e.g. a computer monitor or a television set) are placed before each of the persons engaged in the virtual communication. The video image captured by a video camera of a first party to the communication is transmitted through the telecommunication channel, for display on the VDU before a second party to the communication, and vice versa. However, in such conventional systems, a party to the communication sees his/her partner through the screen of the VDU, which is an un-human and face-to-machine system.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a display system in which the aforesaid shortcomings are mitigated, or at least to provide a useful alternative to the public.